Symbolism of Invisibility Cloak WAS: Re: a whole lot of parts

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 185298

> Alla:
> 
<snip> **Is it** the moral of the 
> cloak indeed? I mean, it is what you said, Rowling admires courage, 
> so I am not sure that she would have wanted to set up the most 
> admired brother of the tale as coward, if it makes sense.
> 
> Maybe she wanted to say after all that the reckless courage is a 
bad 
> thing, or that courage to meet death, but only when your time comes 
> is the highest courage of all?

a_svirn:
I don't think it is about courage at all, reckless or otherwise. 
Arguably all three brothers were courageous – they trapped Death 
Himself and even dared to bargain with him, after all. Voldemort 
might have been afraid of death, but he was quite daring when it came 
to nearly everything else; besides his fears never deterred him from 
anything, quite the contrary. Grindenwald was hardly a coward either 
(even though he could act cowardly upon occasion). 

The moral of the cloak as I see it was summed up by Dumbledore in the 
King's Cross chapter – that the ones most suited for power are those 
who don't seek it. Now, I am not sure I agree, but it was something 
Dumbledore apparently had come to believe. Those who seek power over 
the living would obviously go for the Wand – a sure sign that they 
are not to be trusted with it. Those who aspire to hold sway over the 
dead would go for the Stone – and they are even more dangerous than 
your average megalomaniacs. The most dangerous of all would go for 
both. Only those human enough to choose privacy over power and 
generous enough to share it with others are worthy to exercise power 
of the hollows (and power over fellow humans). Harry was worthy of 
the philosopher stone because he did not seek it for himself, he was 
tempted by the Mirror, but was a) able to overcome the temptation and 
b) willing to share with his best friend. And of course he always 
used the cloak for privacy and protection and shared it with others. 
The Hollows story mirrors the first book – again powerful magical 
artefacts that Harry did not use for himself. He rejected the quest 
for the Wand (and he only wanted it in the first place to prevent 
Voldemort from obtaining it – the Philosopher stone theme all over 
again) and used the stone only to enable himself to make the ultimate 
sacrifice for the sake of the others. So I think it is about power 
and humanity, not about courage. After all, as Phineas Nigellus said 
Slytherins are brave too. But the moral is that they are brave for 
all the wrong reasons. 
a_svirn.